Major magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck China’s Qinghai early on Saturday.
- Date & time: 21 May 2021 18:04:15 UTC
- Local time at epicenter: 22 May 2:04 am (GMT +8)
- Magnitude: 7
- Depth: 10.0 km
- Epicenter latitude / longitude: 34.58°N / 98.28°E
Nearby towns and cities:
- 381 km (237 mi) WSW of Hong Ya (pop: 256)
- 388 km (241 mi) SW of Xining (pop: 767,500)
- 397 km (247 mi) NNE of Chamdo (Tibet)
- 539 km (335 mi) SW of Wuwei (Gansu)
- 559 km (347 mi) SW of Jinchang (Gansu)
There was no immediate reports about any casualties or structural damage from Qinghai quake available.
Qinghai is a large, sparsely populated Chinese province spread across the high-altitude Tibetan Plateau. It’s a place of strong Tibetan and Mongol cultural traditions. Amne Machin, a 6,282m-high peak that’s part of the Kunlun Mountains, is a holy site for Buddhist pilgrims.
Qinghai’s important Buddhist monasteries include Wutong, whose monks are renowned producers of thangka, religious paintings on cotton or silk.